Serhiy Stanislavovych Rebrov (Ukrainian: Сергій Станіславович Ребров;[4] born 3 June 1974) is a Ukrainian professional football manager and former player who played as a striker. He is currently the manager of Ukraine.
He debuted for Ukraine in 1992, playing 75 times for the national team, scoring 15 goals. He played in the nation's first-ever World Cup, in 2006.
He finished his career as a professional football player in 2009, after which he worked as a coach. In 2014, he held the position of acting head coach at Dynamo Kyiv, and for the next three years he was head coach.[5] He was the first to win the Ukrainian Cup as a player and coach.[6] He also spent three seasons as manager of Hungarian side Ferencváros from 2018 to 2021. In 2023, he took charge of the Ukraine national team and led them to qualification for UEFA Euro 2024.
He scored several key goals in European competitions, notably in the 1997–98 and 1998–99 seasons of the UEFA Champions League, including a famous goal against Barcelona from a tight angle. Dynamo reached the Champions League semi-final in 1999, but lost to Bayern Munich on aggregate. In the 1999–2000 season, Rebrov became a joint top scorer in the UEFA Champions League with ten goals (including two goals in qualification games) as Dynamo progressed to the last sixteen before going out on head-to-head record against Real Madrid.
England
On 17 May 2000, he was sold to Tottenham Hotspur for £11 million,[7] where he managed a modest return of nine goals in 29 games over his first Premier League season, appearing to struggle to adjust to the different style of play in England. Things grew worse for Rebrov after the sacking of George Graham in March 2001, as he was frozen out by new manager Glenn Hoddle, with extremely few first-team starts or substitute appearances. In search of first-team football, Rebrov spent two consecutive loan spells at Fenerbahçe.[8] In his second season there, alongside new signing Pierre van Hooijdonk, he helped lead Fenerbahçe to its 15th title.[9]
Subsequently, Rebrov signed a one-year contract with West Ham United in the Championship after his contract with Tottenham expired.[10] He scored just once in the league for West Ham, the winner in a 3–2 win over Watford on 27 November 2004.[11] He also scored once in the League Cup against Notts County.[12]
Return to Dynamo Kyiv
On 1 June 2005, Rebrov became a free agent, after declining to re-sign; two days, later he signed a new two-year contract with Dynamo Kyiv, with the option of a one-year extension. In the 2005–06 season, Rebrov became Dynamo's top scorer with 13 goals, two behind league joint top scorers Brandão and Okoduwa, despite playing in midfield. Rebrov also topped the league in points, with goals and assists – and was named player of the season, according to a poll of team managers and captains.
In July 2007, Rebrov became Dynamo's captain. In the 2007–08 season, he was mostly benched, starting only seven out of eighteen matches before the winter break. His contribution in some games was heavily criticised by the press. It was reported that Rebrov could move to Arsenal Kyiv during the transfer window. However, under new manager Yuri Semin, Rebrov started all games and was named best player at the close season Channel One Cup. In February 2008, Dynamo president Ihor Surkis stated that the club was planning talks with Rebrov, with a view to extending his contract.[13] Shortly thereafter, Rebrov received an offer of a two-year contract from Russian Premier League club Rubin Kazan.
On 3 March 2008, Dynamo announced that Rebrov had signed a two-year contract with Rubin Kazan, and would join the new club at the end of the season, in the summer of 2008.[14] With the Russian season starting in spring, Rubin eventually agreed to a $1 million compensation with Dynamo for Rebrov's early release from his contract.[15] He was part of the team that won the 2008 Russian Premier League for the first time in Rubin's history, playing in midfield in 24 out of his team's 30 league matches, and scoring five goals.
Retirement
Rebrov's retirement was announced on 20 July 2009. At the same time, he became an assistant manager at the Dynamo Kyiv reserves.[16] During his career, he played in various European leagues, with 423 games recorded and 145 goals netted. His career achievements resulted in him being inducted into the Viktor Leonenko Hall of Fame in March 2012.
On 17 April 2014, Rebrov was named caretaker manager of Dynamo Kyiv. On 19 May, after the victory in the Ukrainian cup, he was named manager. During Rebrov's reign as manager, Dynamo Kyiv went on to win two Ukrainian Premier League titles, two Ukrainian Cup titles and one Ukrainian Super Cup. In the 2015–16 season, the team also progressed past the group stages of the UEFA Champions League for the first time in over 15 years, into the knockout rounds. The season before, Rebrov lead Dynamo Kyiv in a successful 2014–15 UEFA Europa League campaign, which included a memorable 5–2 win over Everton in the round of 16-second leg. Rebrov confirmed his resignation as manager on 31 May 2017, following the expiration fo his contract, after the club's final game of the season, against Chornomorets Odesa.[22]
Al Ahli
Rebrov soon returned to management and in June 2017, Rebrov was named manager of Saudi Arabia side Al Ahli. He managed there for one season, until he was eventually sacked for failing to win the league. [23]
Ferencváros
On 22 August 2018, Rebrov was named manager of Hungarian side Ferencváros, after the club failed to qualify for the UEFA Europa League.[24]
On 29 September 2020, Rebrov guided Ferencváros into the Champions League group stage for the first time in a quarter of a century after beating Molde. The Green Eagles beat Djurgården, Celtic and Dinamo Zagreb in the previous three rounds of qualification to set up a meeting with the Norwegian champions. After a 3–3 draw in Norway in the first leg, Ferencváros held out for a 0–0 draw in Budapest in the second leg, which meant a victory on away goals, and thus qualification to the promised land of the group stage was secured for the first time in 25 years.
On 4 June 2021, Ferencváros announced his resignation as coach of the club, thanking him for his contribution to winning three consecutive league titles, and for guiding the club both to the UEFA Europa League group stage, in 2019, and to the Champions League group stage, in the following year.[25]
Rebrov scored Ukraine's first-ever World Cup goal in their opening 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification group 9 match in 1996, against Northern Ireland. The match in Belfast finished 1–0 thanks to Rebrov's contribution. Ukraine finished 2nd in the group behind Germany, with Rebrov again scoring the winner in another 1–0 victory away to Albania in March 1997, and at home to the same team in August. His three goals helped his team into the playoffs, where they lost 3–1 on aggregate to Croatia.
Rebrov's club exploits earned him a recall to the national team and a ticket to the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, where he scored a long-range shot against Saudi Arabia as Ukraine progressed to the quarterfinals before going down to Italy.
Rebrov is a licensed amateur radio operator and an active contester and has been active with the following callsigns: UT5UDX (Ukraine), M0SDX (England), TA2ZF (Turkey) and UT0U(Ukrainian contest-callsign). Most recent call is 5B4AMM (Cyprus) and P3X (Cypriot contest-callsign).[28]
Career statistics
Club
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
UAE Pro League Manager of the Month: August 2021,[35] September 2021,[36] October 2021,[37] November 2021,[38] December 2021-January 2022,[39] February 2022,[40] March 2022[41]
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